Gujarat HC rebukes cattle owners for obstructing stray cattle control

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court strongly criticized cattle owners on Friday, emphasizing their role in obstructing the civic body’s efforts to clear stray cattle from public streets. The court reiterated its expectation for decisive action against any illegal activities.

In a contempt of court hearing regarding city road maintenance, traffic issues, and the stray cattle problem, a lawyer representing cattle owners complained about the firmness of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials in impounding cattle. The lawyer argued that overcrowding in AMC’s cattle pounds led to the death of cows.

While the AMC denied the charge, stating that the dead cows in the photographs died of natural causes, the bench of Justices A J Shastri and H M Prachchhak expressed concern about recent incidents, citing a significant outcry about a cattle pound in Nadiad last week. Justice Shastri noted that similar issues had arisen in another location a few months ago.

Regarding the cattle owners’ request to restrain AMC officials from impounding cattle, the judges reiterated that as long as officials adhere to the legal framework and implement recently formulated policies, the court cannot intervene.